Thereβs no shortage of Indian food in New York, but finding Indian food with a point of viewβthatβs rarer. Some restaurants make you feel like youβve traveled. Others, like Indigo, make you feel as though the chef has and if it wasnβt clear, thatβs what you really want.
Located on Ninth Avenue in Hellβs Kitchen, this unassuming spot channels the warmth of Goan home cooking, the rigor of classic Indian technique, and a quietly cosmopolitan sensibility that only comes from a lifetime spent between kitchens and continents.
Thereβs something quietly magnetic about Indigo. It didnβt launch with fanfare or a flurry of Instagrammable gimmicks. Instead, it opened with intention. Led by industry veterans Dheeraj Gowda and Naresh Malhotraβalumni of Junoon, Tabla, and Ammaβand helmed by Executive Chef Alwyn Gudhino, Indigo is a restaurant that leans into its heritage while allowing subtle modernity to shape its edges. From the moment you walk into the restaurant, youβre inundated with a sense of homey friendliness while also retaining an accent of sheen.
Chef Gudhino, a native of Goa, brings to the table a menu thatβs deeply personal. Traditional Indian dishes are infused with the nuance of Goan influence, presented in a way that favors clarity over complication. Indigo isnβt trying to be everything at once. It knows what it isβand that self-awareness shows on the plate.
We started with theΒ Chicken Samosa, and right away, it was clear the kitchen has an intuitive feel for texture and seasoning. The filling was deeply spiced, the meat quality excellent, and the pastry casing just crisp enough to crack cleanly with a bite. Honestly, it was probably the best chicken samosa Iβve had in New York in years. It was followed by theΒ Chili Chicken, a dish that can often skew too sweet or clumsy elsewhere, but here was assertive and focused. The heat built slowly and then landed preciselyβbright, peppery, and well-calibrated.
TheΒ Shrimp BiryaniΒ arrived cloaked in a parda, the signature dough veil that seals in moisture and aroma. Itβs a dish that rewards patience. The moment the seal was broken, the table filled with the scent of saffron and cinnamon. The rice was tender, the shrimp perfectly cooked, and the medium spice level made the dish feel rich without overwhelming. I need to emphasize that the shrimp was perfectly cooked as Iβve noticed Indian restaurants tend to mess this up a lot, however, mistakes are far below this place. In my last review, I talked about how hard it is to find genuinely good biryani in New York and I still think thatβs true. However, and I canβt believe I can truthfully say this, but this is now certainly ties with my favorite biryani in New York.
Next was the Β Spinach Chicken, which had beautifully seasoned, juicy pieces of meat, the biryani became even more dynamicβeach bite deepening the last. From the curry section, theΒ Rogan JoshΒ stood out as one of the best renditions Iβve had in New Yorkβpossibly the best Indian lamb curry Iβve had since Semma. The lamb was meltingly tender, richly coated in a sauce that hummed with cardamom and slow-simmered spices. It was exceptional on its own, but when paired with theΒ Garlic NaanΒ orΒ Aloo Paratha, it took on another level of comfortβa meal you want to linger over, to scoop up every last bit.On the side, both theΒ Aloo ParathaΒ andΒ Garlic NaanΒ were solid in execution: warm, pliant, and just charred enough at the edges. They didnβt distractβthey supported, exactly as they should.
For dessert, theΒ RasmalaiΒ was the standout. Soft cheese dumplings in chilled, cardamom-scented milkβcool, light, and gently sweet. TheΒ Phirni, on the other hand, took a slightly unexpected route. Fried rice, rather than the usual creamy pudding-like texture, offering a textural departure that worked out as a splendid contrast.
Iβve reviewed a fair few Indian restaurants in my day and yet, when possible, I endeavor to bring a close friend of mine who is a native of Chennai and something of a local authority on Indian cuisine. And by that, I mean he is a much more staunch critic than me. Despite that, even he had to admit this place was well worth.
After the meal, we met with Dheeraj and Naresh, who run the restaurant and saw to it that we, as well as everyone in the restaurant, had a great evening. A few quick moments with these guys and it was clear that food and the restaurant business wasnβt just a job to them. It was a calling. With that, what more can I say? The food was fantastic, the staff was incredible, and the atmosphere felt like you were personal guests of Dheeraj and Naresh, seated in their living room. If itβs not on your to do list, it should be.
